Awful Purdies are a group of five women who joined forces like an Americana Voltron. For the past 20 years, they have been rocking the region with their beautiful blend of folk, honky tonk, bluegrass and a little bit of soul. This synthesis is achieved through an amalgamation of instruments that range from cello, mandolin […]
Cedar Rapids music
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An historic Cedar Rapids theater is becoming its coolest new saloon and music venue
Once on the brink of demolition, a building constructed over 100 years ago is about to be reborn as Cedar Rapids’ newest bar and music venue. First opening as the Ideal Theatre over a century ago, the building at 213 16th Ave SE will start a new chapter of its story, written by its new […]
Posted inCommunity/News
965 Guitars closes its doors, Vinyl Emporium moving into the space this summer
965 Guitars has closed its doors after eight years, the store announced in a Facebook post on Jan. 31. The guitar store closing should not come as a surprise to Cedar Rapidians — owner Darwin Lindahl told the Gazette last year he was planning to end sales in January once his lease was up.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
319 Fest will present 70 artists — including Davenport’s Soultru, fresh off a new release
In 2016, Cedar Rapids’ 319 Fest took a year off. Their goal was to refocus, redevelop. Organizers changed the location of the festival, and were determined to make it always free, organizer Jason Zbornik said in an email, “in hopes that it would allow more people access to new original music.” Now in its third year back
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Ben Driscoll — Earthly Remains
Doing due diligence on Ben Driscoll — whose name I know mostly from live performances on KUNI FM — I turned up an article from 2015 in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that calls him a “former musician” and describes his Cedar Rapids woodworking business. Lucky for us, news of his demise as a musician is greatly exaggerated.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Treesreach — Some Night You Will Hear Me Crowing
Some Night You Will Hear Me Crowing, the debut album from Cedar Rapids trio treesreach, uses the story of Peter Pan as a thread joining the musical squares in a large double album quilt in the form of symphonic interstitial pieces. Taken by themselves, the rock songs are not directly Peter Pan-themed, but they evoke a sense of melancholy similar to Peter Pan’s afterthought.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Ryan Phelan — Memories
Cedar Rapids musician Ryan Phelan has been a mainstay on the close-knit music scene there for years, from beloved jam band Dr. Z’s Experiment to fresh effort Young the Lion. So it’s no surprise that on Memories, his solo effort released last month, he draws on the wide array of Cedar Rapids talent for an album filled with guest appearances, varied genres and local hat tips.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five for Five Seasons – Albums by Cedar Rapids artists
In celebration of the release of Alisabeth Von Presley’s ‘Diamonds in the Blackout,’ here is a shockingly incomplete list of records by artists with ties to the Cedar Rapids area.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Slayton Thompson, well-known drummer, to join Cedar Rapids Municipal Band on harmonica
Years ago, Slayton Thompson was playing drums in the Marion Community Band. After a performance, he clapped the teenaged piano player on the back and told him, “When you grow up, I want to be in your band.”
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Album Review: Hunter Dumped Us Here — I Understand
Hunter Dumped Us Here I Understand www.hunterdumpedushere.bandcamp.com The members of the band Hunter Dumped Us Here may hail from Cedar Rapids, but they have musical ideas and ambitions that extend well beyond the city limits. They may be firmly in the camp of drums-and-wires rock and roll, but one cannot deny their intensity and musical […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Cedar Rapids rockabilly revival: The Magnetos make a triumphant return
Magnetos Parlor City Pub and Eatery — Friday, Sept. 2 at 9 p.m. It’s been over two years since Cedar Rapids rockabilly favorites the Magnetos last graced a stage, and their fans are well-past ready for their return. Now, the wait is over. Friday, Sept. 2 at 9 p.m., the band will put on a […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Alumni of the Cedar Rapids Emerald Knights to perform at Tournament of Drums
Tournament of Drums Kingston Stadium — Friday, July 29 at 7 p.m. Five drum corps units from across the country will gather on Friday, July 29 at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids (907 15th St. SW) for the second year of the newly-revived Tournament of Drums. The program showcases the musicianship and marching skills of […]
